Telerik has released a free package that includes all the features in the commercial Kendo UI Mobile package

Borrowing a page from the recently revised Microsoft playbook, development tools maker Telerik has released as open source the bulk of its Kendo software library of components for building Web and mobile applications

The Kendo UI Core is a collection of user interface widgets and framework features, built from JavaScript and HTML5. The collection includes all the features available in its commercial Kendo UI Mobile package.

Telerik created the collection to accompany its flagship AppBuilder cross-platform mobile application development software (formerly called Icenium). More than 40,000 organizations have used Telerik's development products, according to the company.

The Kendo collection has been released under the Apache 2.0 license, allowing developers to freely use and modify the code in their own commercial and personal projects. Telerik hopes to use the best contributions to the code base for its own commercial editions, as well as contribute additional components back to the project as they are developed.

The package includes a total of 38 user interface widgets, including components for autocomplete, drop-down lists, panel bars and calendars. Framework functions include drag and drop capabilities and data validation.

The library has been integrated with other popular JavaScript libraries, such as Bootstrap and Google's AngularJS.

"I'm impressed with the beauty and completeness of Telerik Kendo UI components," said Brad Green, Google engineering director for AngularJS, in a statement. "I'm ecstatic that it has gone the open source route to enrich the world's development community."

The company has held back releasing a few key features that might be of particular value to the enterprise, such as stock charts, mapping and a data grid. Those will be available only through the commercial Professional Kendo distribution.

The company has indicated that it is following Microsoft's lead in open sourcing the library. Earlier this Month, Microsoft open sourced its own core WinJS JavaScript library for building Windows and mobile application using JavaScript.

Like Microsoft, Telerik hopes that developers become acquainted with the library and come to regard the company's commercial products as the best tools to use with the library.